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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: toast · scale · cabinet · spell · ground · face · suit · swing

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. toast — bread
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — in music
  10. face — to confront
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — letters
  13. face — part of the head
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ground — a position
  16. swing — to play on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ground — crushed
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. scale — for weighing

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