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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 120 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: coach · safe · pitch · fall · root · bound · pass · net

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — for catching
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. net — in sport
  24. bound — certain

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