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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: stick · coach · clip · object · squash · wound · court · bulb

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. court — for sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. court — of law
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. court — of a king

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