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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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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: spring · court · firm · wound · bear · pitch · object · swing

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. court — of law
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — the season
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — a company
  24. spring — of water

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