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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. drill — the tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — army training
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — size or range
  19. key — the most important part
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. temple — side of the head

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