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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: spring · swing · mate · coach · rest · ball · capital · squash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rest — a break
  4. swing — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spring — of water
  13. swing — in golf
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a city
  18. squash — to crush
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — to breed
  21. capital — money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the sport

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