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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: toast · object · perch · scale · wind · coach · chip · net

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — a thing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. scale — in music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — after costs
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. toast — bread
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — in sport
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — an aim

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