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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · fork · march · net · club · spell · prune · coach

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — letters
  4. club — a group
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — music
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. march — the month
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — a short time
  20. club — for dancing
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — for golf
  24. safe — out of danger

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