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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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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 · snap · coach · foot · mouse · chair · toast · mark

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. toast — bread
  24. coach — a trainer

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