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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: game · mark · swing · prune · wave · sharp · coach · board

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — clever
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — wild animals
  12. board — a committee
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — to get on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — to play on
  24. board — a flat piece

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