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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: leaves · mark · coach · ground · perch · stick · wake · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — a position
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. perch — the fish
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — a trace
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — crushed

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