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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
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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 · can · bulb · root · coach · deal · track · pitcher

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. root — the cause
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

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