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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: staff · coach · press · prune · rock · rule · track · bat

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — a law
  6. track — a path
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rule — government
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rule — to rule out
  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