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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · cold · plane · racket · scale · mug · branch · bulb

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mug — a face
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cold — not warm
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cold — an illness
  18. plane — a tool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — in music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cold — the Cold War

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