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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: prune · spell · coach · mine · stick · firm · can · mate

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. firm — a company
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — letters
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — steady
  17. spell — magic
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. spell — a short time
  23. firm — decided
  24. prune — the fruit

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