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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: scale · foot · rock · coach · key · swing · racket · wound

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — a stone
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. foot — a measure

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