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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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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: bowl · bear · board · mark · rest · club · fine · prune

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fine — high quality
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for golf
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — to put up with

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