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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: coach · drill · prune · mark · deal · cue · bowl · perch

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cue — a signal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bowl — to roll

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