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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: bore · bat · bound · coach · straw · perch · track · race

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — to drill
  4. race — humankind
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. track — a path
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bound — obliged
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. race — a contest

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