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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: coach · root · bay · perch · bear · can · prune · trunk

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — the cause
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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