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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
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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: coach · march · game · bound · nail · fork · chair · wax

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bound — certain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a match
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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