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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 120 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: coach · scale · face · swing · branch · chip · fine · tube

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. scale — in music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — size or range
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fine — all right
  24. face — to confront

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