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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: firm · pass · bark · club · coach · court · rush · chair

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. court — of a king
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. court — for sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. court — of law
  24. pass — to spend time

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