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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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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: mouse · scale · hand · rock · coach · club · object · deal

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — help
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. object — an aim
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — in cards
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — for golf
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — a group

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