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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: snap · coach · game · stem · bound · pit · bay · racket

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bound — obliged
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. game — a kind of play

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