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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. present — the time now
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — in music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lean — thin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. present — there
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — to bend
  20. key — the most important part
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — size or range

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