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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 116 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
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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: coach · key · rest · lean · track · bark · scale · game

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rest — a break
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — a match
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. track — a path
  17. scale — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — for weighing

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