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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: arm · straw · mark · wake · coach · board · capital · pit

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. capital — a city
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. capital — money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. board — to get on

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