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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 120 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: branch · court · staff · swing · wound · snap · bound · racket

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. staff — a stick
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — a division
  22. wound — an injury
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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