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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: pitcher · rule · prune · coach · bound · dip · fall · board

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — certain
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bound — tied together
  24. dip — a sauce

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