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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pound — a weight
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — a division
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. club — a group
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. club — for dancing
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — for golf

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