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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.

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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
468
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: fork · fine · swing · straw · coach · rush · capital · staff

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — a stick
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — employees
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fine — all right

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