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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.

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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: can · cap · coach · last · club · safe · swing · fork

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. can — a tin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. can — to be able to
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. last — final
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. swing — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. club — a group

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