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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · object · pit · ground · court · suit · tube · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. suit — to fit
  3. object — a thing
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — to protest
  8. ground — a position
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — the earth
  12. tube — a container
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — of law
  16. ground — crushed
  17. tube — the underground
  18. object — an aim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of a king
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — a thrill
  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