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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 120 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: trunk · cue · pop · bass · row · fork · leaves · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — soda
  3. cue — for pool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cue — a hint
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cue — a signal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — a garden tool

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