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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · coach · court · arm · rule · bound · trunk · date

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. court — of law
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — of a king
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. court — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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