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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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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 · pit · perch · swing · chair · scale · firm · row

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. swing — in golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. row — a line
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pit — in a race
  11. firm — decided
  12. swing — to play on
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — in music
  17. firm — steady
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. firm — a company

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