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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: present · pit · game · kick · bound · coach · cell · hide

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — the time now
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. game — a match
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — wild animals
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. present — there
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cell — in biology
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. game — a kind of play

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