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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 120 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: chair · staff · cap · nail · scale · coach · branch · bark

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — in music
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — size or range
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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