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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: rock · spell · prune · bay · club · mate · object · deal

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — a stone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — letters
  8. mate — to breed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mate — a partner
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — to handle
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. club — a group
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rock — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. rock — to move gently

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