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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: bulb · scale · pound · coach · pass · cell · wind · squash

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pass — to spend time

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