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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · drill · lean · bowl · racket · court · dip · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. dip — to sink
  6. court — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of a king
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — of law
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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