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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — help
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chest — a box
  5. board — a committee
  6. chest — of your body
  7. board — to get on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — to hurry

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