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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 · coach · bulb · safe · kick · bass · bear · wind

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — in football
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bulb — for light

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