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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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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: bound · cabinet · cold · board · coach · snap · cap · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. snap — to click
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. board — to get on
  23. club — for golf
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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