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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: spring · bulb · pitch · perch · wake · safe · sharp · coach

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — completely
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — for light

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