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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: track · race · scale · rock · cap · pop · net · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — a path
  5. net — after costs
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. race — humankind
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pop — music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — to visit
  13. race — a contest
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pop — soda
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — a stone
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. track — to keep track
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — a song

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