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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: rush · rock · net · jam · coach · leaves · degree · pit

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. net — in sport
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — for catching
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. net — after costs
  24. pit — in a race

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