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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: coach · fork · bowl · straw · kid · last · deal · mark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — in a road
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — to go on
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kid — child
  17. last — final
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bowl — a dish

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