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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — obliged
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. court — of a king
  8. bass — low music
  9. clip — a video
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — for sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bound — certain
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — tied together

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