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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: key · coach · bound · fan · net · wake · hide · game

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a match
  15. net — after costs
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. game — wild animals
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — the most important part

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