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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: plane · pitcher · kick · coach · safe · game · squash · bass

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — wild animals
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. game — a kind of play

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