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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: can · fork · wind · race · bound · mark · net · coach

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — after costs
  7. race — a contest
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. net — for catching
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fork — in a road
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a trace

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