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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: coach · squash · roll · rash · pit · object · kick · court

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. squash — the sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. rash — a series
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. court — of a king
  10. kick — in football
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — of law
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. court — for sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pit — in a race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — with a leg

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