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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: chip · court · swing · scale · pass · coach · fine · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. court — for sport
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of a king
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — in golf
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. swing — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — of law
  24. coach — a trainer

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