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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: pop · coach · wound · rash · net · track · calf · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. track — a path
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. net — after costs
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a song
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — to keep track

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