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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: deal · coach · last · pound · chair · bowl · spring · can

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — final
  7. deal — to handle
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. last — finally
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spring — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — 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