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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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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: cue · key · sharp · trunk · prune · coach · charge · race

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. race — a contest
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — in control
  8. key — in music
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — a signal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — a price
  14. cue — a hint
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. charge — electricity
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. race — the arms race

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