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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: squash · pitcher · face · racket · coach · rock · straw · jam

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — to crush
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — part of the head
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — to move gently

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