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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: fine · cell · bowl · mate · key · coach · bay · suit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fine — all right
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. key — in music
  17. cell — in biology
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. suit — clothes

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