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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: squash · tube · wake · club · coach · bore · court · rush

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. court — of a king
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — a group
  14. tube — a container
  15. club — for golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — gave birth

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