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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.

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: bound · kick · pass · pop · roll · cell · coach · mark

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — certain
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. roll — a list
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pop — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. pass — a permit
  24. roll — on a roll

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