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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
468
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: bass · mate · straw · fork · fine · foot · saw · coach

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bass — low music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — a measure
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fork — in a road
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fine — all right
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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