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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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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: straw · coach · key · fork · charge · wound · prune · race

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. race — the arms race
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. race — a contest
  21. prune — to trim
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. race — humankind
  24. key — the most important part

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