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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: coach · wake · squash · ground · bulb · can · game · arm

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — crushed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — a position
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — a match
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — for light

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