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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — a coil
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lie — to recline
  10. land — ground
  11. spring — of water
  12. scale — in music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — the season
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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