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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — a stick
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — for digging
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — for weighing

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