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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: hand · bound · ruler · ball · fine · coach · branch · bowl

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fine — all right
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — a division
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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