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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 · pound · rock · coach · race · charge · bore · spring

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. charge — electricity
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — the season
  6. race — humankind
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — a contest
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — a price

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