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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — happy
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — the amount
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. season — of the year
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. season — in sport
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a great time

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