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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · spell · fork · coach · prune · bowl · pop · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spell — letters
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — there
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — a gift
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. bowl — a dish

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