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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · swing · nail · firm · row · wound · bass · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — a line
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — in golf
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. scale — in music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. row — to paddle
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — a company
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. scale — for weighing

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