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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 · fork · club · perch · game · pound · season · calf

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — in a road
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — wild animals
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. game — a match
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — a weight
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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