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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: deal · swing · field · face · scale · ruler

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. swing — music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. field — a subject
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — for sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. field — farmland

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