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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: deal · pitcher · straw · coach · ball · wake

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wake — a trail

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