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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cold — an illness
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cold — not warm
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — the season
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. branch — a division

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