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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: racket · coach · land · rest · season · mouse · firm · pop

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — of the year
  6. pop — to visit
  7. land — to come down
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — steady
  18. rest — a break
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — ground
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. firm — a company
  24. season — in sport

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