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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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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: nail · pass · spell · bear · prune · wake · club · field

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. club — a group
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. field — for sport
  11. club — for dancing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. field — farmland
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. field — a subject
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — a trail
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pass — to spend time

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