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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 · spring · coach · fine · mate · can · fork · net

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fork — in a road
  22. net — in sport
  23. mate — a partner
  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