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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 116 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: kid · squash · club · season · pop · coach · mug · object

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for golf
  3. pop — soda
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. club — a group
  10. object — an aim
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. kid — child
  21. object — to protest
  22. pop — music
  23. mug — a face
  24. season — to add flavour

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