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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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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 · coach · stick · rule · march · swing · bay · shower

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. march — the month
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. march — music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — to play on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — government
  24. squash — the vegetable

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