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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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468
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: mark · bound · season · coach · pass · racket · board · snap

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to click
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. board — a committee
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — to get on
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — of the year
  23. bound — certain
  24. 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