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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: mine · degree · coach · can · prune · mark · track · calf

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — to be able to
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. degree — from a university
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mark — a trace
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mine — for digging
  24. track — a path

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