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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pass — a permit
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. court — of a king
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. season — of the year
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. calf — of the leg

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