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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 120 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: prune · net · coach · bore · clip · present · cue · stick

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — for pool
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — in sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. present — there
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bore — to drill

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