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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: key · prune · court · pass · tube · chair · coach · rock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tube — the underground
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tube — a container
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chair — a leader
  24. prune — to trim

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