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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rash · coach · toast · pitcher · cabinet · chest · press · deal

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chest — of your body
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. deal — to handle

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