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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: scale · net · coach · fan · pass · perch · face · stock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. net — in sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — in music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — the fish
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stock — shares
  20. net — for catching
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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