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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: staff · bat · spring · object · prune · suit · chip · coach

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spring — of water
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bat — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — an aim
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — in cards
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. prune — to trim

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