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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 · pop · arm · ball · deal · roll · face · coach

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — to visit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — to point toward
  16. roll — a cake
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. roll — a list
  19. pop — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — obliged
  23. face — to confront
  24. coach — a trainer

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