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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: key · pound · pop · coach · stand · lean · can · pitcher

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pop — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. key — in music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. can — to be able to

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