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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: pound · bowl · coach · season · dip · net · track · cue

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. net — for catching
  12. track — a song
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — a weight

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