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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.

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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 · can · pound · pit · fork · scale · rush · mug

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pit — a hole

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