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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · prune · scale · object · bark · hand · suit · club

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hand — help
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — size or range
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. object — a thing
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — to protest
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. object — an aim
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — a group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — for weighing

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