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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: prune · current · plane · row · coach · march · spell · deal

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — a tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — of water
  8. march — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — electric
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — happening now
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. row — a quarrel
  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