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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 120 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: racket · track · bore · coach · scale · suit · net · chair

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. suit — in cards
  6. track — a song
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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