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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: rush · coach · net · bark · date · rest · pit · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — after costs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. net — for catching
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. net — in sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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