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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: coach · can · bound · fork · net · mark · craft · march

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — after costs
  4. mark — a trace
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — to be able to
  12. craft — a skill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — the month
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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