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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · bound · wave · coach · mine · fall · foot · club

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a great time
  20. foot — a measure
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bound — tied together
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mine — belonging to me

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