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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · chair · scale · mouse · game · rule · bark · coach

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bark — to shout
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — size or range
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — in music

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