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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 120 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: mug · wave · stick · coach · race · club · scale · content

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — a face
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. race — a contest
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — humankind
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. content — the amount
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — a group
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — a cup
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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