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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: stand · staff · coach · mug · game · jam · rash · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rash — hasty
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a face
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — to bear
  23. game — wild animals
  24. coach — a trainer

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