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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: suit · prune · trunk · pitcher · coach · key · bound · cold

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bound — obliged
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — a jug

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