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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: coach · lie · prune · track · deal · ground · shower · pass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — a position
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. shower — rain
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a path
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — the earth

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