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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: scale · board · coach · shower · arm · pit · lie · bowl

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — to wash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a committee
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — to get on

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