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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · rock · season · plane · coach · stick · pound · bound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. club — for dancing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — tied together
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — certain
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bound — obliged
  22. club — for golf
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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