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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. capital — money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. capital — a city
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — in music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. scale — size or range
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stock — shares

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