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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: fall · coach · pit · swing · scale · rash · stand · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fall — to drop
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — a series
  24. fall — the season

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