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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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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: calf · bass · coach · firm · key · rule · court · hand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. court — of a king
  3. bass — low music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — steady
  11. key — in music
  12. firm — a company
  13. hand — in cards
  14. court — for sport
  15. key — the most important part
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rule — government
  23. court — of law
  24. hand — help

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