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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
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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: object · coach · sharp · land · branch · march · jam · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. land — ground
  3. object — an aim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. object — to protest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — wild animals
  15. march — the month
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. object — a thing
  20. branch — a division
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. march — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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