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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 116 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: stand · bark · net · bowl · spring · bound · wound · coach

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. bound — tied together
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bound — certain
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — of water
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — in sport
  23. spring — the season
  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