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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 116 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: spell · track · coach · drill · suit · prune · bay · can

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — letters
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spell — magic
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a song
  19. can — to be able to
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. can — a tin

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