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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 120 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: straw · board · perch · fork · hand · coach · pitch · mine

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — completely
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a committee
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mine — for digging
  18. board — to get on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. hand — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — help
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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