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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. band — a ring
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — size or range
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

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