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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: degree · bear · prune · trunk · key · safe · coach · bowl

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — to trim
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — in music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — the most important part
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — to put up with

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