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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · leaves · coach · firm · capital · pop · game · scale

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. firm — a company
  4. game — a match
  5. firm — decided
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rush — hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — money
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — steady
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — a city
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. scale — size or range

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