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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: cap · deal · suit · swing · coach · clip · kid · bay

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cap — of ice
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — a video
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — in cards
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — music
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. swing — to play on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — for paper
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — a horse colour

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