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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · coach · key · roll · mouse · court · hand · kid

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hand — help
  4. key — for a lock
  5. roll — a list
  6. court — of law
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. court — of a king
  12. kid — child
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — for sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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