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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: mug · court · coach · key · ruler · straw · hand · scale

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — in music
  5. court — for sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of a king
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of law
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. scale — in music
  24. hand — in cards

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