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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: coach · racket · court · bat · lean · rock · deal · pound

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lean — thin
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of law

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