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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: scale · field · fine · chair · rest · rock · swing · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — a break
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. field — for sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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