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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: wind · object · straw · foot · deal · drill · coach · court

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — a practice
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — a measure
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — an aim
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. object — to protest
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. drill — the tool

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