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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: coach · game · roll · kick · mate · race · straw · firm

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. race — a contest
  4. roll — a list
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. game — wild animals
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mate — to breed
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — decided
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — humankind
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. race — the arms race
  19. firm — a company
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — a cake
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kick — in football

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