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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · swing · land · wave · press · spell · cue · scale

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. scale — in music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spell — a short time
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — music
  24. land — ground

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