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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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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: lash · wound · pop · date · bound · pitch · coach · key

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — soda
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. key — in music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — music

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