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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 · mouse · staff · scale · track · bowl · roll · face

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. roll — a cake
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. face — part of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. track — a song
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — a list
  24. staff — a stick

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