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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · cold · coach · stand · rule · tear

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — not warm
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tear — from crying
  13. scale — in music
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — government
  18. cold — an illness

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