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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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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: spell · file · scale · wave · swing · press · coach · sharp

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. file — a tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. press — a publisher

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