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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.

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: bat · fine · swing · temple · scale · coach · mouse · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — in golf
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. temple — side of the head

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