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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · roll · trunk · branch · firm · fine · game · pitcher

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. game — wild animals
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. roll — a list
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fine — all right
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — a division
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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