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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: track · row · bore · pound · coach · roll · safe · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. land — ground
  5. track — a path
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. roll — a list
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bore — to drill
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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