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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: mug · tube · coach · net · fan · suit · cabinet · stick

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — to rob
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — a face
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — a container
  19. net — after costs
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — the underground

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