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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: calf · cue · patient · prune · club · row · fine · bulb

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a line
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. club — a group
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — for pool

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