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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 120 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: stand · bound · coach · mug · vault · spring · ground · fan

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — certain
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — a face
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ground — a position
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — of water
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ground — the earth

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