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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 · pound · net · bank · drill · rest · foot · bulb

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. drill — army training
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. net — after costs
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — for catching
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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