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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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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: deal · club · prune · pass · game · mate · bowl · kid

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. club — a group
  2. kid — child
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kid — to tease
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. prune — the fruit
  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