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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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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: drill · court · stick · coach · kick · chair

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — for sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — of a king
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of law
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. drill — a practice

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