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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — for sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. rock — music
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — of law
  22. club — a group
  23. branch — a division
  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