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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — music
  5. track — a song
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. track — to keep track
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — a path
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — to be able to

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