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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: pass · bear · date · pitcher · face · club · prune · spell

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — part of the head
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. date — the fruit
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. spell — letters
  24. face — to point toward

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