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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: fine · chair · perch · date · coach · drill · club · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pass — a permit
  8. drill — army training
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fine — all right
  24. club — a group

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