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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: prune · rash · net · coach · perch · pass · board · stock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stock — shares
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — for catching
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — after costs
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pass — a permit

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