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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: pass · racket · coach · scale · bowl · plane · lash · chest

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chest — a box
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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