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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: saw · scale · coach · racket · cold · nail · mouse · rule

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. cold — not warm
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cold — an illness
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rule — government

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