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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: squash · pit · board · bound · last · coach · net · cap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — for catching
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — after costs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pit — a hole
  9. last — final
  10. net — in sport
  11. last — finally
  12. cap — a lid
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — in a race
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a flat piece

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