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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. club — a group
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — in football
  13. wake — a trail
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. club — for golf
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. branch — a division
  24. pound — a weight

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