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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: plane · pitch · coach · prune · rash · dip · tube · club

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — for golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — a container
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. club — a group
  12. rash — a series
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. club — for dancing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — hasty
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. plane — an aircraft

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