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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — in music
  3. cold — not warm
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. swing — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. key — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. charge — in control
  21. can — to be able to
  22. swing — to play on
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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