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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. club — for golf
  3. degree — from a university
  4. prune — to trim
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — in control
  8. bass — low music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. field — farmland
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. degree — temperature
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bass — the instrument

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