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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: coach · rock · bound · bass · kick · pound · cue · deal

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bound — certain
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. deal — an agreement

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