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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · pound · chest · craft · ground · rule · mine · coach

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. chest — a box
  3. pop — soda
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pop — music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. mine — for digging
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pound — a weight
  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