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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: prune · rock · mate · suit · racket · club · season · hand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. club — a group
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — in cards
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. club — for golf

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