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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: drill · staff · pound · track · coach · safe · charge · mine

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — employees
  10. mine — for digging
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pound — a weight
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — a song
  20. charge — in control
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. drill — army training
  24. pound — for dogs

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