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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · calf · wave · racket · prune · club

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rule — a law
  11. club — for dancing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. rule — government

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