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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: straw · jam · band · coach · cap · foot · kick · fork

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cap — a hat
  23. band — a music group
  24. straw — a straw man

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