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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · toast · drill · saw · coach · row · racket · stand

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. drill — army training
  5. row — a line
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bound — certain
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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