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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: pit · bound · coach · file · band · ball · sharp · chair

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. band — a music group

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