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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 116 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 · coach · racket · charge · tear · lean · pit · court

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — of law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — in a race
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of a king
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lean — to bend

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