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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 116 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: coach · sharp · pass · safe · deal · spell · board · degree

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — to handle
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. board — to get on

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