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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: racket · wave · coach · nail · land · object · season · cabinet

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — to come down
  5. season — in sport
  6. land — a country
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — ground
  17. object — to protest
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. object — an aim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wave — with your hand

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