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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bound — tied together
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a music group
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. swing — in golf
  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