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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: scale · pound · tube · field · stand · coach · mark · press

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. field — farmland
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tube — a container
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mark — a grade

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