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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — a container
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. prune — to trim

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