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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.

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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: rest · coach · toast · pound · race · stick · bound · bowl

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — a break
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. toast — bread
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. race — humankind

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