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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 116 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
468
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 · bear · wound · bound · pit · wave · bulb · court

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of a king
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — in a race
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — for sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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