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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: bound · pitcher · coach · board · spring · season · wake · hide

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — a committee
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. season — of the year
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. season — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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