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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: bound · suit · coach · ball · bat · shower · chip · staff

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — to eat
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — tied together
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ball — a great time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bound — obliged

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