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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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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 · prune · straw · temple · toast · deal · fork · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. toast — bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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