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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: arm · scale · press · swing · spell · game · band · deal

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — wild animals
  5. swing — in golf
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — newspapers
  13. swing — to play on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a music group

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