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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 · racket · stick · firm · fall · rash · roll

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. firm — steady
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — a company
  18. roll — a list
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — hasty

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