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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: scale · row · swing · net · mate · dip · deal · band

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a ring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — to play on
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a partner
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — after costs
  12. swing — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. net — for catching
  16. row — a line
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. dip — to dunk

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