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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: bear · prune · stick · club · pop · ball · plane · wind

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — to visit
  9. club — a group
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pop — music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a round shape

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