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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. firm — a company
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — in music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — the most important part
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bat — the animal
  9. last — finally
  10. scale — size or range
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — final
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. last — to go on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — steady
  19. mug — to rob
  20. staff — employees
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. fall — the season
  24. firm — decided

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