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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: wind · toast · coach · hand · bound · club · dip · pitch

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bound — certain
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitch — completely
  14. toast — bread
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hand — help
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — to dunk

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