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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: game · safe · coach · roll · current · fine · trunk · saw

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — all right
  9. current — electric
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — of water
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. roll — a list

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