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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.

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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: content · swing · lean · march · bass · mouse · rock · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lean — thin
  8. content — the amount
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. march — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bass — low music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — happy

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