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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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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: rock · bound · coach · cold · craft · racket · lie · ball

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a dance
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cold — not warm

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