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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 120 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: pitcher · leaves · court · bark · stick · march · coach · bound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — to shout
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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