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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: squash · track · cabinet · game · toast · coach · racket · roll

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — wild animals
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. roll — a list
  7. game — a match
  8. track — a path
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — the sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — on a roll

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