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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: coach · ruler · kick · kid · racket · pass · file · key

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kid — child
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. file — a tool
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a document
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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