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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: foot · coach · shower · rush · kick · mug · scale · pit

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mug — a face
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — a measure
  10. scale — in music
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — in football
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pit — in a race

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