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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 120 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
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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: straw · arm · coach · racket · current · chair · pit · game

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. current — electric
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — happening now
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. chair — a leader
  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