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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — thin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cap — a lid
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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