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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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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 · stick · kick · row · band · bowl · craft · bear

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — a skill
  10. band — a ring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. band — a music group
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — in football
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kick — a thrill

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