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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: trunk · ball · pit · bound · net · coach · safe · mine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — in sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pit — a hole

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