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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 120 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: field · coach · pound · root · shower · track · tube · suit

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. root — of a word
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. track — a song
  12. suit — clothes
  13. field — a subject
  14. shower — to wash
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. track — a path

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