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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
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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: coach · pop · chest · drill · pitcher · mate · rush · mark

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — soda

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