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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 116 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
468
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: ground · bore · hide · court · squash · rest · chair · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — a leader
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — of a king

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