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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: bowl · club · arm · straw · racket · bore · coach · craft

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bore — to drill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. club — for dancing
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. club — for golf
  24. craft — a handicraft

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