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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.

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: jam · club · mine · coach · calf · spring · snap · game

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — a match
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. club — for dancing
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spring — a coil
  15. snap — to click
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — for golf
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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