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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 · coach · racket · branch · wax · season · mouse · fan

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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