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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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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: prune · lie · kid · staff · pit · coach · root · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — to recline
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — the cause
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. staff — a stick
  20. kid — child
  21. pit — in a race
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. staff — employees

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