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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: bowl · arm · coach · rush · staff · rash · jam · bear

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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