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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: stand · prune · pop · rash · game · present · fan · coach

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a match
  14. pop — music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — there
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. present — a gift

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