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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: fork · pound · wake · present · coach · bound · bear · shower

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — certain
  8. present — there
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. shower — rain
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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