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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 116 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: stand · bark · coach · sharp · key · stem · object · pound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — to protest
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. object — a thing
  12. key — in music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pound — a weight
  15. key — for a lock
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — 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