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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
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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: firm · roll · coach · cap · content · squash · bore · club

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cap — of ice
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cap — a hat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. content — happy
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. club — a group
  17. firm — steady
  18. cap — a lid
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. content — the amount
  22. bore — to drill
  23. squash — the sport
  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