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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: pound · tear · game · board · kick · bound · craft · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. craft — boats
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — tied together
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — in football
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. board — to get on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tear — from crying

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