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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: mug · band · root · pound · fine · leaves · coach · track

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mug — to rob
  5. band — a music group
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — a weight
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. root — the cause
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mug — a face
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. band — a ring

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