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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: arm · ground · jam · prune · file · coach · stick · key

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ground — crushed
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a document
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — a position
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. file — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. arm — part of the body

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