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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 · pound · content · mate · ground · bark · can · bore

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. content — the amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ground — crushed
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. content — happy
  23. ground — a position
  24. pound — to hit hard

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