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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 116 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: vault · prune · pass · board · field · wax · coach · club

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — to grow
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — for dancing
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. field — farmland
  19. club — a group
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. board — to get on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — for golf

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