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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: staff · pound · cabinet · coach · mouse · net · wave · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bound — certain
  17. net — for catching
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — in sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — with your hand

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