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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: pitcher · trunk · bound · club · fan · coach · spell · wake

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — magic
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — letters
  16. bound — certain
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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