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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: rash · mate · race · mark · last · coach · squash · mouse

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. last — final
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — a series
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. last — finally
  18. mark — a trace
  19. race — a contest
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. last — to go on
  24. mark — a grade

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