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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: squash · wake · track · season · spell · game · club · chair

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spell — magic
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — letters
  6. game — a match
  7. club — for dancing
  8. season — of the year
  9. squash — to crush
  10. game — wild animals
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spell — a short time
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. club — a group

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