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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: cue · jam · last · march · wind · mouse · cabinet · coach

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wind — moving air
  9. last — to go on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. last — final
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. march — the month
  18. last — finally
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cue — a hint

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