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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · object · game · coach · stand · trunk · wake · row

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. row — a line
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — a match
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — to paddle
  17. game — wild animals
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — a weight
  20. object — an aim
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stand — on your feet

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