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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. key — the most important part
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. key — in music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bat — for baseball

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