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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 120 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: craft · pass · ground · cabinet · season · rest · coach · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — boats
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to succeed

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