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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: rest · firm · straw · rule · dip · coach · game · pitcher

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — a company
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — a break
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — decided
  19. dip — to sink
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — a sauce

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