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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · swing · mine · tube · row · rush · mouse

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. scale — in music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — the underground
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — size or range
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. swing — music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spell — a short time

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