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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: bark · nail · coach · cue · bear · rock · scale · swing

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — the animal

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