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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: bound · content · object · coach · land · wake · bank · cue

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — a thing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — to come down
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — an aim
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — of a river
  21. land — a country
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — to protest
  24. bank — for money

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