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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: degree · key · fine · chair · coach · suit · net · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. key — in music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — a leader
  12. net — after costs
  13. suit — in cards
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. net — for catching
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fine — all right
  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