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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: game · saw · coach · snap · staff · cell · suit · cap

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cell — in biology
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. suit — clothes
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a match
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — a hat

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