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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: wound · cue · bound · bear · coach · capital · bowl · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — a city
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wound — an injury
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bound — certain
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. coach — a trainer

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