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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 · shower · coach · scale · bowl · suit · spell · chair

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spell — a short time
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — in music

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