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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 116 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
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: rest · land · racket · coach · game · cabinet · hide · content

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — the amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — a match
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. land — to come down
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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