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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
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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: scale · fork · leaves · deal · coach · hand · swing · bass

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. deal — to handle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — to go away

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