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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: field · bay · coach · chair · rock · game · bound · rush

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. game — a match
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rock — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. field — farmland
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. bound — obliged
  24. game — wild animals

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