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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.

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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 · cap · coach · scale · deal · bore · bat · bulb

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — of ice
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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