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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · hand · hide · scale · sharp · mug · swing · coach

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — help
  11. game — a match
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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