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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · date · wake · coach · sharp · pound · suit · kick

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kick — in football
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. suit — clothes
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. suit — to fit

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