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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: prune · key · ball · bay · calf · date · swing · club

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. swing — in golf
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — a group
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — to play on
  10. club — for dancing
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. club — for golf
  16. key — the most important part
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a great time
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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