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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · pop · band · last · coach · pitcher · key · bound

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. band — a music group
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a ring
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — in music
  24. bound — obliged

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