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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: club · staff · stick · hand · pop · bowl · prune · calf

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — help
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pop — music
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  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