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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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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: kid · court · bay · pass · squash · plane · coach · date

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kid — child
  4. squash — to crush
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. court — for sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. court — of a king
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. court — of law
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — the fruit
  24. squash — the sport

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