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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 120 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: pop · board · cell · track · pass · coach · rule · wound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — a law
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cell — in biology
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a song
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a committee
  19. rule — government
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — to get on
  24. pass — to succeed

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