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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · spring · spell · bound · ball · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spring — the season
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — obliged
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ball — a dance

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