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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: land · coach · tube · pound · leaves · key · trunk · rock

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rock — a stone
  10. key — in music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. land — ground
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. land — to come down
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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