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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
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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: cue · scale · cabinet · season · coach · mate · racket · jam

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. season — in sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a signal
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. season — of the year
  12. mate — to breed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cue — for pool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — a friend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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