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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.

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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: dip · file · scale · leaves · swing · band · nail · game

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a ring
  4. file — a tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a music group
  11. scale — in music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. swing — to play on
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a document
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — wild animals
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — a match
  24. scale — size or range

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