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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: ground · can · net · coach · fall · bound · dip · rush

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — a position

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