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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · bear · net · sharp · club · root · swing · prune

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — for golf
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. swing — to play on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. sharp — clever
  21. net — after costs
  22. root — of a word
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — exactly

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