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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 116 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: pop · spring · coach · wave · pitcher · cap · scale · mug

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spring — of water
  24. mug — a face

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