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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: stand · coach · date · spell · bulb · scale · club · lean

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — for golf
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — thin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — size or range
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — to bear
  16. scale — in music
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lean — to bend

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