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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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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: toast · cabinet · pound · cap · coach · leaves · march · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cap — a hat
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cap — a lid
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — the month
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. toast — bread
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cabinet — ministers

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