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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: degree · rest · kid · jam · key · net · coach · pass

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — child
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — the most important part
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. degree — temperature
  14. net — in sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — an amount
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. kid — to tease
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pass — a permit
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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