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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: scale · swing · fine · drill · pound · content · temple · file

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. file — a tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. scale — in music
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fine — all right
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — the amount
  18. file — a document
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. drill — army training
  22. fine — high quality
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pound — a weight

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