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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: suit · rash · bowl · coach · court · present · pop · object

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — to fit
  7. court — of a king
  8. object — a thing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. rash — a series
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. object — an aim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — to protest
  24. court — for sport

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