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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 120 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: dip · mug · fork · coach · chair · game · stick · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a match
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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