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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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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: kick · prune · pound · fine · coach · track · cap · foot

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — a measure
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  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