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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: coach · row · scale · root · pop · prune · rash · bound

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — the cause
  4. scale — in music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bound — certain
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — obliged
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. rash — a series
  24. pop — soda

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