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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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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: swing · roll · scale · bulb · board · fall · press · coach

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. roll — a cake
  3. swing — music
  4. roll — a list
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — size or range
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — to get on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — to push
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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