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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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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: stick · rule · swing · key · coach · stand · prune · sharp

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. swing — in golf
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stand — to bear
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — government
  24. key — in music

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