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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.

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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: mark · game · sharp · press · pound · wax · pit · coach

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. game — wild animals
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — clever
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — a hole
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — a match

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