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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: net · coach · roll · wake · object · firm · straw · game

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. object — an aim
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. object — a thing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — a match
  14. wake — a trail
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — a company
  20. roll — a list
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. firm — steady
  24. net — for catching

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