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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. land — ground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — to come down
  12. bore — to tire
  13. land — a country
  14. pitch — completely
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail

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