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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: court · face · march · pound · track · bowl · plane · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of law
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — the month
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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