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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 · key · mine · firm · mate · foot · coach · stand

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — in music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kid — child
  19. firm — steady
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stand — to bear
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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