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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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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 · bear · pitcher · swing · stick · snap · perch

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to click
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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