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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: file · row · wake · land · swing · scale · field · suit

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — size or range
  7. field — farmland
  8. file — a document
  9. row — a line
  10. swing — music
  11. field — a subject
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — a country
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. file — a line of people
  20. field — for sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — in cards

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