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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 · chest · scale · sharp · mug · swing · kick · coach

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. scale — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. swing — music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mug — a face
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  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