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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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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 · kid · perch · bowl · pass · swing · coach · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. swing — in golf
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. perch — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kid — child
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. swing — music

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