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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of a king
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. craft — boats
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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