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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.

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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: stick · bowl · prune · field · coach · scale · bank · rest

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — farmland
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — a break
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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