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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: pop · ground · track · deal · mark · rash · coach · trunk

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. track — a path
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pop — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rash — a series
  24. pop — soda

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