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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: rush · dip · pound · pop · wound · coach · pitch · tear

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pitch — completely

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