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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: wake · foot · swing · scale · content · row · rule · fork

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. row — a line
  3. rule — government
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. foot — a measure
  8. content — the amount
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. swing — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. content — happy
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — a law
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. swing — to play on
  24. row — a quarrel

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