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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 · cell · pitch · coach · wound · bat · bore · craft

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. craft — boats

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