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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a dance
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — completely
  15. key — in music
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. object — a thing

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