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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: fine · bulb · club · safe · saw · coach · game · capital

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. club — for dancing
  8. capital — a city
  9. club — for golf
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. capital — money
  22. game — a match
  23. safe — out of danger
  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