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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · scale · fork · mug · object · land · game · wind

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. game — a match
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. scale — in music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — a cup
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — a country
  17. fork — in a road
  18. land — to come down
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. land — ground
  22. object — an aim
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a face

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