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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 · bear · pop · sharp · bulb · coach · fine · staff

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — with an edge

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