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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: staff · perch · cabinet · coach · clip · ball · straw · deal

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — to handle
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. staff — employees
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ball — a dance
  23. staff — employees
  24. cabinet — ministers

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