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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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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: bay · root · prune · coach · swing · fork · bound · bowl

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — the cause
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. swing — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bound — obliged
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. coach — a trainer

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