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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: nail · season · fork · pitcher · coach · plane · track · prune

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — a song
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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