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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: hide · saw · bound · racket · coach · track · ground · deal

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. track — a path
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ground — a position
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ground — crushed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ground — the earth

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