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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 116 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: court · straw · coach · fan · prune · pass · fine · mine

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — for sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — a permit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of a king
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  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