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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: coach · race · bear · pop · track · tube · mug · rush

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — to rob
  7. race — humankind
  8. mug — a face
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rush — hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tube — in a tire

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