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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: pitch · can · snap · track · fine · coach · season · safe

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — of the year
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fine — high quality
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. snap — to click
  13. can — a tin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a path
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. track — to keep track

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