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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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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 · ruler · court · pound · hand · wind · trunk · bay

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of a king
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — help
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. court — of law
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. court — for sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ruler — a monarch

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