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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · race · pop · coach · pitcher · mouse · dip · straw

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — a contest
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — the arms race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — to sink
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fall — the season

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