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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: scale · swing · wave · fork · race · pit

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — a contest
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. race — humankind
  14. swing — to play on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pit — in a race

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