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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: season · squash · bulb · roll · cell · ball · firm · coach

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cell — in biology
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — to crush
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cell — a phone

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