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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: lash · net · kid · coach · mate · court · chair · suit

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mate — a partner
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of law
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. court — for sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. suit — in cards
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — clothes
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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