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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: sharp · lie · march · capital · arm · scale · coach · nail

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. march — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lie — to recline
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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