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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.

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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. scale — in music
  2. season — in sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — in music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chip — to eat
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bore — to drill
  9. swing — in golf
  10. key — for a lock
  11. swing — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. face — to point toward
  14. race — humankind
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to confront
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. season — of the year
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. race — a contest
  23. key — the most important part
  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