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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: fall · coach · chip · can · bat · rock · pitcher · safe

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. can — to be able to
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. can — a tin

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