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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
468
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: fall · land · rule · coach · scale · key · bulb · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — government
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. land — ground
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — a country

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