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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: scale · band · bank · bay · kid · coach · temple · racket

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. scale — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a ring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a music group
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a rubber band

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