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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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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: kid · nail · root · club · bound · bay · mate · prune

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. root — of a word
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. root — the cause
  12. kid — child
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a friend
  18. club — a group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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