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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 116 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: club · coach · snap · net · pop · pass · rest · scale

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for dancing
  16. scale — in music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. club — for golf
  19. net — for catching
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rest — a break
  22. snap — to click
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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