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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: mug · jam · pop · coach · wound · foot · band · rush

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — to rob
  10. band — a ring
  11. mug — a face
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a music group
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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