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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: sharp · content · band · pass · kid · suit · press · coach

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a ring
  6. press — to push
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. content — the amount
  13. kid — child
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kid — to tease
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a music group
  20. content — happy
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. sharp — clever
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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