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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: rush · root · coach · squash · object · tube · season · perch

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a word
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — the cause
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — of the year
  24. object — to protest

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