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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
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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: hide · bore · swing · coach · spell · nail · court · pound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hide — to keep secret

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