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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 · rush · spell · kick · suit · bass · file · content

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. kick — in football
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. scale — in music
  8. content — happy
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a document
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — the fish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spell — magic
  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