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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: press · mouse · club · bound · mate · coach · net · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bound — obliged
  4. club — for golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. net — for catching
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. net — after costs
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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