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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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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: last · racket · stand · bound · coach · pass

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. last — final
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. racket — for tennis

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