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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — a series
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — to drill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — hasty

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