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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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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: fall · firm · season · bear · squash · kick · coach · club

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. club — a group
  9. season — in sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for dancing
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. club — for golf
  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