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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · game · bass · saw · coach · board

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — a match
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer

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