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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 116 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: rush · coach · court · saw · fork · bound · pit · present

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. present — a gift
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — there
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pit — in a race
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — the time now

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