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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: chest · bark · pop · bowl · present · stand · coach · rush

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pop — soda
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — the time now
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chest — a box

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