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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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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: straw · fork · rule · leaves · coach · pound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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