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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: kid · pitcher · coach · bear · arm · bound · board · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. kid — child
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bound — certain
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bear — to put up with

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