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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: scale · bay · coach · bore · hand · track · sharp · arm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hand — in cards
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. arm — part of the body

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