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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: pound · sharp · march · rush · season · coach · safe · degree

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — a weight
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. march — music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — a trainer

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