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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
468
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: object · current · pound · mine · cabinet · fork · coach · foot

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — to protest
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. current — happening now
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. current — of water

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