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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: game · branch · coach · rush · bound · racket · last · pitch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — tied together
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bound — certain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — to go on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — hurry
  16. last — finally
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. last — final

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