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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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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: cabinet · present · scale · cap · dip · coach · trunk · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — of ice
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. present — there
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. scale — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — to rob

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