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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
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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: ball · pit · spell · mine · calf · pop · safe · coach

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pop — soda
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — magic
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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