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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.

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: spell · kid · file · squash · foot · coach · suit · prune

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spell — magic
  15. suit — to fit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — to tease
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. spell — letters
  21. suit — in cards
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kid — child

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