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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: nail · kid · staff · coach · scale · wave · ground · cell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — employees
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ground — a position
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. staff — a stick
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cell — in biology

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