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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
468
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: ground · stem · coach · racket · safe · date · perch · sharp

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. sharp — clever
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ground — crushed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — for tennis

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