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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stock · march · root · coach · pitcher · spring · prune · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stock — goods
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. root — of a word
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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