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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
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: wake · coach · calf · bass · march · cabinet · key · perch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. march — the month
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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