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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · coach · rush · prune · root · cell · trunk · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — in music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in biology
  6. root — the cause
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — for golf
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cell — a phone

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