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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: bear · bulb · coach · suit · cell · prune · sharp · board

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cell — a phone
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a flat piece

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