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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 120 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: coach · mark · leaves · prune · pound · sharp · firm · ground

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — a weight
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ground — a position
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — a company
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. coach — a trainer

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