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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: suit · race · squash · cue · coach · rash · bark · season

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. suit — in cards
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. race — humankind
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — in sport

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