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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: key · pitcher · coach · bound · squash · march · rock · pound

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — a stone
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — music
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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