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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. key — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — a path
  5. land — ground
  6. scale — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. track — to keep track
  9. club — for golf
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pop — soda
  15. snap — to click
  16. club — a group
  17. fork — in a road
  18. key — for a lock
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — to visit
  21. track — a song
  22. pop — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — to come down

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