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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: drill · mark · mug · pound · prune · ground · scale · coach

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mug — a face
  7. pound — a weight
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — crushed
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. drill — a practice
  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