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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: coach · kick · fan · firm · swing · safe · court · jam

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. swing — in golf
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — in football
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. court — for sport
  23. firm — steady
  24. swing — music

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