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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: march · swing · scale · file · fine · chip · pop · cue

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — all right
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. scale — in music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pop — music
  15. march — music
  16. swing — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. file — a document
  19. march — the month
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pop — soda
  24. swing — to play on

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