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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 120 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
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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: rush · suit · court · wound · bear · fork · coach · squash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — in cards
  14. court — of a king
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. court — for sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — a thrill

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