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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the fish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — low music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kick — in football
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — in 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