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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: scale · mate · coach · field · prune · board · calf · mark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. scale — in music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. field — farmland
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. calf — of the leg

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