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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: swing · fork · pass · last · land · staff · file · scale

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — to come down
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. land — a country
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — a stick
  14. last — to go on
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. land — ground
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. scale — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. swing — music

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