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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
468
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 · current · lash · bowl · coach · spell · racket · fork

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spell — letters
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. current — happening now
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fork — to eat with
  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