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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · bass · jam · roll · coach · march · straw · pit

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pit — in a race
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. march — the month
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bass — low music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pit — a hole
  23. roll — a cake
  24. jam — a tight spot

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