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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: march · mate · perch · coach · club · ball · safe · snap

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mate — a friend
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. march — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — a group
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to click
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — a partner
  24. march — the month

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