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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a face
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — employees
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. club — for golf
  16. mug — a cup
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com