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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 116 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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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: bay · rest · perch · drill · face · coach · court · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — to point toward
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — part of the head
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — for sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — size or range
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — army training
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — in music

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