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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: club · pound · season · mate · prune · rush · fine · row

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — of the year
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. club — for dancing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. club — for golf
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mate — a partner
  21. club — a group
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. prune — the fruit

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