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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — electric
  14. shower — rain
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stock — shares

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