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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.

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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: pound · straw · ground · pass · coach · fan · deal · cap

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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