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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
468
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: coach · pound · fan · prune · safe · game · stand · date

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stand — to bear
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. game — wild animals
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pound — for dogs

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