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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: coach · toast · content · key · cabinet · mine · drill · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — the amount
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. drill — army training
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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