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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.

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 · dip · fine · perch · mine · game · saw · march

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — all right
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a match

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