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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: row · coach · can · date · object · rock · scale · fall

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. object — an aim
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — in music
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — to be able to
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. scale — size or range
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rock — 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