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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: coach · net · charge · pound · mark · temple · leaves · track

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — in control
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a path
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — a weight
  22. net — after costs
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. net — for catching

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