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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 120 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: scale · bear · swing · fine · wax · kid · foot · coach

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — size or range
  3. swing — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. scale — in music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — child
  10. foot — a measure
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wax — to grow
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — to play on
  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