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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: rock · kid · fan · staff · safe · coach · pop · degree

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kid — child
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — to tease
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pop — to visit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. staff — a stick

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