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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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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: suit · squash · toast · bowl · band · fork · coach · stem

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. squash — the sport
  14. band — a music group
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. toast — bread
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. band — a ring
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. suit — in cards

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