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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.

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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: coach · content · fall · craft · chip · scale · swing · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. swing — music
  4. content — happy
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. swing — to play on
  8. craft — a skill
  9. scale — in music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. season — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — to drop
  20. swing — in golf
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — the season
  23. chip — for betting
  24. season — to add flavour

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