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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: roll · cabinet · squash · racket · charge · coach · toast · scale

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. toast — bread
  3. roll — a cake
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a list
  21. charge — a price
  22. scale — size or range
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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