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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · hide · coach · spring · ground · scale · suit · bark

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. spring — the season
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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