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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.

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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: mate · sharp · present · pitcher · coach · track · bulb · wound

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — an injury
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. present — there
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — for light

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