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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 116 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: spell · track · coach · drill · suit · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — letters
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spell — a short time
  18. 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