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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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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: root · bear · mark · chair · club · saw · prune · calf

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. root — the cause
  20. mark — a grade
  21. club — for dancing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — the tool

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