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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: track · wound · foot · coach · bound · bay · spring · key

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bound — obliged
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. spring — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — the season

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