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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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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: pound · coach · net · stick · last · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — the season
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pound — a weight
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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