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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — a subject
  11. key — for a lock
  12. plane — a tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — farmland
  16. scale — in music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — in music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bass — low music
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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