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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 116 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: stick · game · drill · last · fine · bound · coach · squash

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — a match
  3. bound — tied together
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — all right
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. last — finally
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — final
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. drill — the tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. last — to go on

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