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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 120 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: temple · prune · sharp · fan · race · safe · coach · game

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — a contest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. game — a match
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fan — to cool the air

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