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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: saw · coach · prune · lean · firm · fine · pitcher · track

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fine — high quality
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — all right
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — a company

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