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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: prune · club · bowl · mark · mate · jam · wind · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — a group
  13. mark — a grade
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. club — for golf
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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