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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: track · date · bay · face · tube · staff · scale · swing

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. staff — employees
  2. track — a song
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — the underground
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. scale — size or range
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. swing — to play on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. scale — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — to keep track
  21. staff — a stick
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — a path
  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