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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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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: branch · coach · bass · fine · bat · snap · field · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — for sport
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — all right
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. field — farmland
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bass — low music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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