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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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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: bay · march · wake · scale · swing · stock · mate · spell

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. march — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stock — shares
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — letters
  20. scale — in music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — to breed
  23. swing — to play on
  24. scale — size or range

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