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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 116 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: pitcher · hide · swing · rock · coach · bound · hand · fine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. swing — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — all right
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — tied together

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