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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: scale · bark · land · race · lean · coach · staff · swing

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — size or range
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — a country
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — to play on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — ground
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bark — of a tree

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