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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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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — size or range
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. key — in music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. drill — army training
  23. ball — a dance
  24. prune — to trim

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