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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: coach · lash · saw · pitcher · key · ball · arm · court

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a great time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. court — for sport

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