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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 120 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: cap · court · swing · tube · prune · season · coach · plane

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. court — of a king
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — in sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. swing — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. swing — in 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