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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: ground · pop · wound · present · coach · season · hide · can

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — a gift
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — of the year
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pop — soda
  16. can — to be able to
  17. season — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — there
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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