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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 · cap · spell · cue · coach · bark · drill · staff

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a signal
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — army training
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spell — a short time
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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