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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: date · kid · file · can · coach · ground · sharp · safe

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kid — to tease
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ground — a position
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — the earth
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — child
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. can — to be able to
  22. date — the fruit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. coach — a trainer

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