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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: coach · scale · current · wave · jam · firm · squash · arm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. firm — a company
  15. current — happening now
  16. scale — in music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wave — of the sea

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