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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
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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: last · bound · bank · mate · coach · jam · pitch · wave

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — finally
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pitch — completely
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. last — final
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. last — to go on
  22. bound — certain
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — obliged

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