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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: bore · pitcher · race · prune · rock · coach · plane · trunk

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. race — humankind
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. prune — the fruit

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