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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: scale · swing · race · suit · cell · toast · present · fork

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. toast — bread
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — clothes
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — in cards
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. scale — in music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — to play on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. present — there

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