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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: club · coach · prune · net · can · rest · trunk · court

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. rest — what's left
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. rest — a break
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. club — for dancing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. court — of law
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. club — a group
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — for catching
  20. prune — to trim
  21. court — of a king
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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