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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 116 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: coach · kick · prune · fine · drill · season · land · stick

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — high quality
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — a country
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — in football
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — all right
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — ground
  23. season — in sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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