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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · chip · hide · straw · jam · mouse · coach · craft

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — for betting
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — boats
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chip — in a computer

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