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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. present — there
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — the time now
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — dry grass

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