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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
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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: pound · current · rush · cap · pop · squash · bass · coach

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — low music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — electric
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pop — music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — happening now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cap — a lid

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