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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
468
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: bay · can · coach · leaves · cold · pound · pitch · pop

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cold — an illness
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — to be able to
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — to visit
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pound — a weight

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