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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: cue · leaves · prune · file · bark · coach · pop · bore

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pop — soda
  20. file — a document
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — to visit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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