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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: rash · bass · date · coach · chest · sharp · rock · prune

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. prune — to trim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bass — low music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chest — a box
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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