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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: hand · fall · mark · staff · bear · net · track · coach

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — a path
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. track — a song
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — for catching
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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