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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: mark · spell · net · date · chair · rest · coach · ball

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a dance
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — after costs
  24. coach — a trainer

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