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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: bore · content · can · coach · mug · prune · swing · perch

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — happy
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — to rob
  9. content — the amount
  10. mug — a face
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. swing — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bore — to drill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  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