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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: pitcher · plane · wake · drill · land · pound · coach · bulb

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — to come down
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — a country
  24. bulb — of a plant

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