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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 · mug · drill · present · pound · file · coach · stick

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — army training
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. coach — a trainer

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