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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: nail · bear · coach · jam · straw · root · rock · pitch

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — the cause
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. root — of a word

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