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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 120 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: calf · game · drill · prune · suit · club · land · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — in cards
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — clothes
  9. club — for golf
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. club — for dancing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — army training
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — to come down
  18. club — a group
  19. drill — the tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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