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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — a tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bass — low music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — soda
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. key — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. bass — the fish

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