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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: squash · roll · suit · mine · ball · field · chip · coach

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. field — for sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chip — to eat
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — for betting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ball — a great time
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. roll — a list
  23. suit — clothes
  24. field — farmland

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