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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · lash · ruler · court · spring · swing · coach · toast

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. toast — bread
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spring — the season
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — to play on
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. court — for sport
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  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