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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: pass · coach · bay · wound · bark · pit · court · band

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — of law
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — to shout
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a music group

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