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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: game · can · coach · scale · charge · perch · rash · band

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — in music
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a match
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — size or range
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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