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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
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: chair · date · coach · prune · pass · perch · cabinet · field

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. date — the fruit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — a permit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. field — farmland
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. field — a subject
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. field — for sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chair — a leader
  24. coach — a trainer

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