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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.

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: mug · fork · track · race · scale · net · bass · swing

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — humankind
  3. track — to keep track
  4. race — a contest
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — after costs
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mug — a cup
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — in a road
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — in golf
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. swing — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — in music
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. mug — a face

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