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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: firm · toast · bore · date · rock · coach · prune · chip

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — bread
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bore — to drill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. firm — a company
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. prune — to trim
  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