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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: drill · spring · staff · court · deal · bound · coach · can

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. court — of law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — of a king
  8. spring — of water
  9. drill — a practice
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — the tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  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