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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: firm · coach · racket · straw · saw · ground · capital · board

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — a company
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — a committee
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — a city
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. firm — decided

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