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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: mate · coach · object · prune · scale · roll · net · cap

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — a thing
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — a list
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. net — after costs
  16. object — an aim
  17. cap — a lid
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. net — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — a cake
  22. net — for catching
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mate — a friend

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