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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
468
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: coach · suit · key · court · degree · racket · bear · bark

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. degree — an amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. court — for sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — of law
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — from a university
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of a king
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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