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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: prune · ball · race · staff · pop · club · stick · ground

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pop — soda
  11. ball — a great time
  12. club — a group
  13. race — a contest
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. club — for golf
  22. pop — to visit
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — the earth

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