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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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468
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: staff · racket · swing · squash · wound · pass · prune · coach

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. swing — in golf
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. racket — a loud noise

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