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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · swing · spell · rest · mine · bay · scale · wound

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spell — magic
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — letters
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rest — what's left

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