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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: coach · pound · present · ball · file · pass · mark · scale

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. scale — in music
  8. present — the time now
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. file — a document
  24. pass — a permit

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