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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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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: ball · pass · chair · racket · coach · rest · dip · mouse

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — a break
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pass — a permit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pass — to succeed

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