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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.

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: squash · bat · roll · fork · key · ball · coach · prune

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. prune — to trim
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — a list
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ball — a dance
  24. squash — the sport

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