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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 116 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: row · bark · pitch · safe · coach · wake · pop · bat

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bat — the animal

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