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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 · mouse · court · bound · hide · last · fan · jam

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bound — tied together
  9. court — of a king
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. swing — to play on
  24. court — of law

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