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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. object — an aim
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. wake — a trail
  19. object — to protest
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. deal — to handle

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