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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: swing · bank · court · nail · pitcher · coach · racket · bound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. swing — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — of a river
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — for sport
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — of law
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bank — for money

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