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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: sharp · fine · coach · march · kid · cell

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. cell — in biology
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — high quality
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — clever
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music

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