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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · straw · prune · stock · firm · cap · coach · row

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. firm — decided
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — a company
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a lid
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — of a river
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — shares
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. row — a quarrel

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