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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · pop · chest · rock · date · mine · key · coach

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — in music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. date — the fruit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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