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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.

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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: craft · racket · drill · prune · wake · coach · chair · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — boats
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chair — a leader

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