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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · march · plane · bound · scale · deal · trunk · track

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bound — obliged
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. march — music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — certain
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — tied together
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a song
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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