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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: lie · row · fine · safe · chair · coach · club · craft

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. club — a group
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. row — to paddle
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. chair — a leader
  17. club — for golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fine — all right
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — to sit on
  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