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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: charge · racket · arm · kick · prune · toast · rock · coach

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — a stone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. kick — in football
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. charge — in control
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — for tennis
  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