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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: stick · club · prune · rush · mark · clip · bowl · mouse

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. club — a group
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. clip — a video
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mark — a trace
  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