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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: ground · wax · mark · press · nail · coach · pound · content

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ground — crushed
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. content — happy
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — a trace

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