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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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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: march · coach · fork · club · deal · prune · wave · safe

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — for dancing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — to handle
  24. prune — the fruit

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