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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: spell · key · track · scale · stand · content · swing · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spell — a short time
  4. clip — for paper
  5. swing — in golf
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. key — in music
  10. content — the amount
  11. spell — letters
  12. clip — to cut
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — for a lock
  16. content — happy
  17. scale — size or range
  18. swing — music
  19. track — a path
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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