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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. scale — in music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. degree — an amount
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — completely
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rule — government
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — from a university
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. degree — temperature

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