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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: coach · can · root · wake · mark · object · rest · pound

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — a break
  18. mark — a grade
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — a trainer

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