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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: track · spring · content · scale · coach · fine · bay · fall

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — the amount
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — in music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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