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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 116 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — the sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. key — in music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — of a river
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a match
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — to crush
  23. game — wild animals
  24. scale — for weighing

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