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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. band — a ring
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hand — help
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — on your feet
  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