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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · scale · cabinet · land · coach · squash · stock · roll

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a list
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — to come down
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — a country
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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