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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cabinet · current · fork · content · key · bowl · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — the amount
  16. current — electric
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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