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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: coach · squash · capital · straw · club · roll · mug · firm

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. firm — steady
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mug — to rob
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a list
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mug — a cup
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. capital — a city
  13. roll — a cake
  14. firm — decided
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a face
  18. capital — money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — a company
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. squash — to crush

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