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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 · rash · march · vault · spell · coach · bat · season

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rash — a series
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. season — in sport
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. spell — a short time
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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