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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: swing · march · board · scale · file · saw · current · mate

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. current — happening now
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — in music
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a document
  13. current — electric
  14. file — a line of people
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. board — a committee
  17. mate — a friend
  18. swing — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. march — music
  23. file — a tool
  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