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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: date · stand · club · stick · present · coach · prune · craft

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. club — a group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. present — there
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. present — a gift
  22. date — the fruit
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — for golf

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