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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: drill · game · date · rest · rock · calf · prune · firm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. date — the fruit
  14. firm — a company
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — a stone
  24. drill — a practice

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