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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: club · spell · jam · coach · pound · rest · safe · leaves

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spell — letters
  4. pound — a weight
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. club — for golf
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. spell — magic
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. safe — a strongbox

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