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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
468
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: chest · bear · scale · coach · fork · mug · object · degree

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mug — a face
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — in music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. object — a thing
  19. chest — of your body
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. mug — a cup
  24. scale — size or range

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