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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 · perch · content · race · coach · tube · suit · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. race — a contest
  5. tube — the underground
  6. content — the amount
  7. tube — a container
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. race — the arms race
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — clothes
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — happy
  19. race — humankind
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — to crush

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