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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rock — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a committee
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — to trim

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