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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: foot · court · plane · mark · track · coach · bound · straw

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — a trace
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — a grade
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — a tool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — for sport
  24. bound — obliged

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