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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: bear · coach · squash · pitcher · clip · leaves · rush · firm

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. clip — to cut
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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