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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: race · coach · chair · calf · scale · racket · wound · saw

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chair — a leader

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