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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — a group
  3. drill — army training
  4. bound — obliged
  5. date — the fruit
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. club — for dancing
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. suit — to fit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — a thrill

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