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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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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: bowl · coach · ruler · scale · perch · court · band · present

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a music group
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a ring
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — a gift
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. scale — size or range

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