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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kid — child
  3. squash — the sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rock — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — a group
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for golf
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the vegetable

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