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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: pound · mark · root · coach · fan · band · scale · calf

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — size or range
  3. root — of a word
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mark — a trace
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. band — a music group
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — in music

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