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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 112 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rest — a break
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rock — music

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