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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: fork · band · tube · date · prune · coach · content · cue

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. band — a music group
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tube — a container
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. content — the amount
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a hint

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