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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to click
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — the most important part
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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