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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — for sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. court — of law
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — a stone
  14. swing — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mate — to breed
  20. object — an aim
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — of a king

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