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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: temple · pop · coach · straw · game · arm · current · bear

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. game — a match
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — wild animals
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — a trainer

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