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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 · coach · key · present · bark · saw · pop · object

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — to visit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — the most important part
  13. object — to protest
  14. pop — soda
  15. bark — to shout
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — music
  24. key — in music

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