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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 · cabinet · coach · clip · scale · bore · track · content

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a song
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — size or range
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. scale — in music
  21. clip — a video
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. clip — for paper
  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