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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: saw · track · court · board · coach · mug · snap · racket

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. court — for sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. court — of a king
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mug — a face
  12. court — of law
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mug — to rob

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