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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: ground · mark · pound · nail · coach · branch · stand · arm

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — a position
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pound — a weight
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a grade

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