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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 · fine · kick · coach · branch · rock · last · pitch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — to go on
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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