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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
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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: coach · bat · squash · rash · stem · chair · cue · bulb

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. squash — the sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stem — of a plant

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