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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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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. clip — to cut
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. craft — a skill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — a group
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hand — help
  22. bulb — for light
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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