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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 · court · staff · chest · season · coach · craft · cue

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. craft — a skill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of law
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. cue — a signal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — of a king
  13. craft — boats
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. season — of the year
  20. court — for sport
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — for pool
  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