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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: pop · mate · fall · sharp · board · content · safe · coach

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. pop — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fall — the season
  12. mate — a friend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a committee
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — exactly

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