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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: bowl · coach · straw · stand · content · jam · object · date

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. object — an aim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — a thing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. object — to protest
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. content — happy
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — the amount
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — on your feet

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