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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. present — the time now
  6. scale — in music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — there
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — for a lock
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — to handle
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part

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