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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: prune · mark · patient · pound · cue · season · can · coach

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cue — for pool
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — in sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — of the year
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — a trainer

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