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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.

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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — a division
  10. club — for golf
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ground — the earth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. scale — in music

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