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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: net · coach · pound · wax · pass · shower · mark · sharp

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. net — for catching
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. net — after costs
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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