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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — in music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — a path
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — a song
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ruler — for measuring

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