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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: cabinet · trunk · mouse · band · coach · chip · pit · pitcher

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. band — a music group
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. coach — a trainer

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