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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 120 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 · fine · clip · wound · board · swing

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. swing — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. swing — to play on
  9. board — a committee
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. clip — a video
  12. fine — high quality
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fine — all right
  18. board — to get on

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