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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · scale · spring · rule · prune · foot · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — the season
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mate — a friend
  16. foot — a measure
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — there
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — government
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — the fruit

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