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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: pound · wind · net · coach · fine · bowl · mark · trunk

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. net — for catching
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pound — a weight

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