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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: board · rush · can · degree · coach · date · pop · wake

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. date — the fruit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. board — a committee
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — an amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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