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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: racket · coach · stem · game · cabinet · bound · mine · deal

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — certain
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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