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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 · roll · coach · pound · kid · object · perch · patient

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kid — child
  3. object — a thing
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. object — to protest
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — an aim
  9. roll — a cake
  10. kid — to tease
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — a list
  19. squash — to crush
  20. perch — the fish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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