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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: safe · coach · net · season · present · object · foot · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — the time now
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. net — after costs
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — there
  19. object — a thing
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. object — to protest

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