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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: coach · cabinet · straw · root · scale · land · mouse · branch

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — in music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. root — the cause
  12. scale — size or range
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — to come down
  18. root — of a plant
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cabinet — ministers

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