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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 116 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
468
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: ground · coach · can · last · game · squash · current · bay

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — a position
  7. last — finally
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — final
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. current — of water
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. last — to go on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. squash — the 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