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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: bulb · prune · wind · sharp · snap · pass · club · scale

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — a permit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — size or range
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. club — a group
  21. scale — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to click

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