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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: pass · coach · fine · press · drill · swing · court · wind

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — a practice
  4. swing — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wind — moving air
  12. drill — army training
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — of a king
  15. drill — the tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. press — to push
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fine — all right

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