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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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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: staff · swing · ruler · wind · band · face · fork · scale

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. face — to confront
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — size or range
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. swing — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. staff — employees
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. face — part of the head
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wind — moving air

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