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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.

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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: jam · bass · march · coach · kick · rush · bore · sharp

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — low music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. march — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bore — to tire
  21. march — the month
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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