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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 · object · bark · bowl · straw · club · craft · kick

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. object — to protest
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — to shout
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — a thing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a dish

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