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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: roll · march · foot · fork · fine · swing · scale · pop

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fine — all right
  6. swing — in golf
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. scale — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — soda
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. swing — to play on
  15. roll — a list
  16. foot — a measure
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fork — to eat with

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