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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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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: lash · row · capital · season · net · bound · bay · coach

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — certain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — a city
  6. row — a line
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. capital — money
  14. net — in sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. net — after costs
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — for catching

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