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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: bound · ground · bay · coach · last · club · object · track

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — final
  3. track — a song
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. bound — certain
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. object — a thing
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — a path
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — a position

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