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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: scale · coach · suit · fan · hand · content · spring · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spring — of water
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. present — a gift
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — the season
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. present — there
  23. hand — in cards
  24. coach — a trainer

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