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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: prune · date · scale · trunk · firm · present · coach · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. firm — a company
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. firm — decided
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — in music
  17. firm — steady
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. coach — a trainer

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