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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.

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: swing · file · wave · pit · scale · ball · spell · stem

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — size or range
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. swing — to play on
  12. spell — letters
  13. file — a document
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. scale — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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