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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: cue · row · game · jam · coach · tube · bound · lean

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tube — a container
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a signal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cue — a hint
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. row — a line
  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