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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 120 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: spell · racket · squash · court · deal · rush · club · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of a king
  3. spell — letters
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spell — magic
  12. court — of law
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. club — for dancing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. deal — to handle

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