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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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Word bank
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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: cap · cell · scale · fork · deal · coach

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — in music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fork — in a road

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