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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: staff · bound · racket · last · roll · fine · coach · mouse

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — to go on
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — certain
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — a list
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — final

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