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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a dance
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — in sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — in music
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. key — the most important part

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