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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: cap · mark · prune · drill · spell · net · rush · coach

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — after costs
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — a thrill

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