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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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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. scale — in music
  3. key — in music
  4. fine — all right
  5. mate — a partner
  6. key — the most important part
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stem — to come from
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — a group
  14. fine — high quality
  15. club — for dancing
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. club — for golf
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — to breed
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — a part of something

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