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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: wake · saw · current · pass · pop · coach · court · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. current — electric
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. scale — in music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. current — happening now
  24. pass — a permit

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