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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: coach · date · chest · mate · court · pop · wave · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. court — for sport
  11. date — the fruit
  12. court — of law
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chest — of your body

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