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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: bay · firm · rock · prune · spring · sharp · cap · coach

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spring — a coil
  3. firm — steady
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spring — the season
  13. rock — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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