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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rash — hasty
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rash — a series
  21. track — a song
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — in music

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