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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: bark · game · date · sharp · march · coach · safe · kid

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bark — to shout
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kid — child
  24. safe — out of danger

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