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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: court · wave · bound · pop · lean · coach · wake · foot

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pop — to visit
  10. court — of a king
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of law
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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