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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: can · prune · pitch · bark · coach · bay · land · mug

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — to come down
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — a country
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. mug — a face

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