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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: pop · scale · club · drill · coach · fine · kick · rush

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. drill — the tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for golf
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to hurry

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