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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · plane · toast · straw · bear · march · squash · club

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — a group
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. squash — to crush
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — a tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. toast — bread

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