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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.

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: spell · scale · shower · mouse · swing · track · pitch · cell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cell — in biology
  3. shower — rain
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — letters
  6. swing — in golf
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — magic
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. swing — music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cell — a phone

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