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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · spring · pitch · pound · rock · drill · coach · craft

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. drill — army training
  3. spring — a coil
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — completely
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — of water
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — a practice
  11. craft — boats
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pound — a weight
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — a stone
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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