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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 · game · mug · bound · fan · race · present · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bound — certain
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. present — the time now
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — a gift
  12. race — a contest
  13. court — for sport
  14. present — there
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. court — of a king
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — a kind of play

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