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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: mug · sharp · kid · pop · safe · coach · tear · pitcher

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — soda
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kid — to tease
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — a face
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kid — child
  24. tear — from crying

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