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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: coach · sharp · prune · perch · roll · ball · track · lash

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a great time
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — a list
  13. track — to keep track
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. roll — a cake
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a dance
  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