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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
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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: track · band · race · calf · prune · spell · staff · club

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. club — for golf
  6. race — a contest
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — letters
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. club — for dancing
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — humankind
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. track — a song
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. club — a group
  24. prune — to trim

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