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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 · ground · coach · bound · squash · band · rush · calf

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bound — certain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ground — the earth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — crushed
  20. band — a music group
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the sport
  24. prune — to trim

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