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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: bound · perch · wake · game · coach · cabinet · file · club

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. game — wild animals
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — a group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a document

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