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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: clip · rash · pound · firm · rock · coach · hand · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. clip — a video
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. hand — help
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — for paper
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. clip — to cut
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — on the skin

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