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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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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: coach · kid · rule · suit · chair · date

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — a leader
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rule — a law
  10. kid — child
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rule — government
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease

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