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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — steady
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — a path
  9. key — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — a division
  14. firm — a company
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — for pool
  24. branch — of a bank

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