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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: ground · coach · racket · chair · bowl · scale · arm · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — a leader
  3. scale — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — a position
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — size or range
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — a loud noise

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