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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: squash · cue · temple · pitch · prune · club · march · coach

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. prune — to trim
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. club — for golf
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — to crush
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — a group

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