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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: coach · bound · snap · bay · bark · ground · chest · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ground — crushed
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to click
  16. chest — a box
  17. ground — the earth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — a position

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