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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: wind · prune · net · swing · root · jam · coach · calf

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. swing — to play on
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — for catching
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — in golf
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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