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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: coach · rash · rock · pound · jam · net · bulb · date

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — for catching
  8. rock — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rock — a stone
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — a weight
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rash — a series
  24. net — after costs

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