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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — in golf
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — not warm

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