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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: pop · coach · roll · cap · prune · racket · track · object

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cap — a lid
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — a path
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — an aim

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